Anxiety and dread vs. Ballrooms and river views.
This is what I’ve learned: Mortgage regulations for muli-family properties have changed drastically since the finance debacle/economic explosion.
Any property over 4 units automatically requires a commercial loan—regardless of whether it’s a commercial property. So, at 7 units, this house is well into that territory. And? Commercial loans require 30% down.
Plus? Banks in our state now require a property’s rental income to cover its expenses. Which? If you saw any of the photos? You can see that any rent would be minimal. And that actually we would have to pay someone to live there.
But? If we got a construction loan and jumped through some other hoops, maybe… So we applied for a construction loan. Which would, theoretically allow us to borrow more money… to fix it up… to get renters… to pay the mortgage…
Compounding my anxiety and dread—at the staggering amount of money we were thinking about oweing.
But?
We would live on the first floor. We would have fourteen-foot ceilings and a ballroom. And if there is one thing my life has most been missing? It’s a ballroom. And a mansion. And a hoopskirt. And Rhett Butler.
However. You can see. That it will be a while. Until there is any romance going on here. You can see. That for a very long time there is going to be sweat and misery and this bathroom.
Not to mention my entire life will plummet into a bottomless blackhole where I never see my husband again.
I mean— I will see Paul. But not my actual husband… He will be my very least favorite version of himself: The work-crazed maniac.
And? How can we leave our house? And start all over?
AND? How can we sell our house when we do NOT EVEN HAVE A KITCHEN. I mean, we have a kitchen in the sense that we have a stove and a refrigerator… but we also have a giant hole in the ceiling. And a giant hole in the floor.
And we made a makeshift island by ripping off a weird mini-peninsula from the previous owner. And then raising it up to a custom-height suited for me. With stacks of two-by-fours. Which is not a look I’ve seen Christopher Peacock using.
How can we try to finish our house? While starting a new one? One that’s roughly the scope and intricacy of building a NASA space station? From scratch? Using only paperclips? How? How? How?
I’ll tell you how—we can’t.
Because the realtor called to say the house is under contract. For the full asking price.
Nearly everyone who loves us said—well, it wasn’t meant to be. In a chipper and irritating voice. That made us think they didn’t understand we were trying to rip apart our entire life—so clearly we thought it was meant to be.
So after walking around questioning the universe and gnawing at my fingernails and writing a construction plan and a business plan and checking my email fourteen times an hour… it’s nice to be done with that.
But sad to be done with the part where we moved to the river and drank champagne while floating in our dinghy.
RELATED POSTS:
Part One – When we first looked at Biddle Mansion.
Part Two – Where I questioned whether I would survive if we bought it.
August 9, 2012 @ 9:09 am
Victoria – I was holding my breath – I feel for you – I know that pull of emotion. Why I’m always looking for that perfect storm (the old home that could be brought back to spectacular glory – with lots of time and money) while my own home is today sitting up on bottle jacks. There will be another – when the stars align and your present home is ready for a new owner.
August 9, 2012 @ 9:38 am
Thank you for the commiseration. It’s so nice to have someone really *get* it. Literally all our family and friends thought we were crazy. Or borderline crazy. But to us it was such an appealing crazy. (At least from the comfort of my now-clean living room.)
The worst part was seeing Paul be disappointed. He’s so levelheaded and pragmatic. And he doesn’t get worked up about very much. Me on the other hand, I can get excited about pretty much anything. Crown molding, stuff on craigslist, MadMen … But this time he was the enthusiastic one… and watching that evaporate was sad.
August 9, 2012 @ 9:30 am
Sorry:( I would be really bummed, too. Find a new owner for your current place and I am sure some new treasure will surface to invest your love into:)
August 9, 2012 @ 9:41 am
You’re right, I know… SIGH. You know how it is though, when you get an idea in your head about how the rest of your life is going to play out? And then you’re yanked back to reality… That yanking is always so unpleasant!!
August 9, 2012 @ 9:39 am
I completely understand. That house has character screaming out of its walls. We like our home and have done a lot to fix it, but its not our dream home. So I spend so much time on MLS looking for homes debating on whether or not to take the next step to a more character filled house. It’s such a draining process. The next one will come for you! I really believe homes find us.
August 9, 2012 @ 4:19 pm
Are you seriously thinking about moving? Or simply strolling through the options just to know what’s out there? The MLS is such a double-edged sword… on one hand, you might find your dream house… on the other, it can make you seriously dissatisfied with what you have.
After we bought the house we’re in now, I was still getting automated emails from the MLS… and I was afraid to open them. Like I might see something better and regret our decision. At this point though, the idea of moving is TRULY abhorrent to me. I would have done it for the above house, but for anything less than spectacular? (Or already finished.) No way.
August 9, 2012 @ 4:23 pm
No we want to move. I wish we didn’t but we knew going into this house, being that it is our first house, it was a matter of need vs want vs what we can afford in our absolutely insane real estate market prices right now. So. I look. Casually. And of course everything that we would want would also involve a serious lottery win.
So we make do with the best of what we can. We don’t not like our home, it’s just not our forever home. But like you, we would only move if the house that came up was our forever home.
August 9, 2012 @ 5:14 pm
When you find your forever home, you’ll appreciate it all the more for having waited for it. Plus? I think everyone should do one house that ISN’T their dream house, FIRST. So that you get all the stupid mistakes and choices out of the way.
August 9, 2012 @ 6:15 pm
This is SO true. Owning vs renting has been eye opening.
August 9, 2012 @ 8:39 pm
YES! It’s not like you *think* it will be!!
August 9, 2012 @ 10:23 am
Awww, that sucks. In a way it’s a huge load off your mind (and your back) but I totally understand loving a house that needs rescuing. I still think about the one we passed up and I still think we made the wrong decision even though it had serious issues. I would give up my house in a second for fourteen foot ceilings and a ballroom.
Around here, at least, the 30% down is not a new thing, although I guess it just could have been our bank. I remember way back in…oh, 2002? 2003? I didn’t have any children, so 2003 at the latest. Anyway, we were looking at buying a duplex to convert back to a single family, but the bank told us that since we were buying it as a duplex it counted as an income property, and income properties required 25% down as the bare minimum. We decided to pass.
August 9, 2012 @ 4:24 pm
It IS a huge load off my mind. But at the same time, the relief from the anxiety and back-and-forth left space for regret. And for feeling—like you said—that it got away. And that it was foolish for me to have even had anxiety… because OBVIOUSLY I need a ballroom. Why would I even question that?
In some ways, about trying to get this mortgage, the more people I talked to, the more it became clear that no two people would tell us the same thing… We’ve looked at other rental properties, and we made an offer on a short-sale sometime last year (the bank declined our offer, and we weren’t interested at a higher price). Had we gone through with it, we were quoted 20% down by one bank, and 25% by another. So maybe it really does have to do with the bank.
August 9, 2012 @ 12:02 pm
I feel for you… There have been a few places we fell for as project homes and it sucks when you have all your plans ready to go, but something silly like another buyer comes along to mess all that up. 🙁 Worse off, when the banks have guidelines that make you feel like you’re a dog chasing your own tail; seemingly the rules make it impossible to get ahead. We had that with this last place, but in the end a mortgage broker was able to help. We’re in Canada, so I’m not sure how the rules work for you, compared to us.
Back when we were searching for our own home, we had looked at the house we now have, but it was a lot of work so we wanted to think about it. It was also right before Christmas, plus it was on the market for almost six months, so we felt no pressure – until the house went off the market. I went crazy! It took some additional work and time, but after a couple months, the house was ours.
Whether its this house, or another; now or in the future, your dream home will find you.
August 9, 2012 @ 4:34 pm
The feeling of someone else buying “your” house… is not a good one. Especially in this case, since it’s abundantly clear that whoever’s getting it has way more money, or the ability to quickly get access to way more money, AND on top of that— the certainty that they have the skills or a crew to go to town on it. And?? They are SO certain of all of this, they are paying full price. All of that combines to make us feel kind of incompetent, since we were still fumbling around with mortgages and banks and also planning to offer less…
That your house randomly disappeared while you were debating it? Was probably a good way to know for sure you wanted it. That feeling of shock is probably a good indicator of your true desire.
August 9, 2012 @ 4:45 pm
Never feel lesser because you might not have the budget others do. I’ve seen what beautiful things you have done in your current home. So regardless, they might have access to quick cash, I guarantee they will pay someone to create that “homey” feel, where you are a natural. And who knows, wait a bit and maybe you can scoop it up at a steal when they get in over their heads!
August 9, 2012 @ 6:04 pm
Sigh… you’re right. I know. Envy is an ugly thing. Whenever I see that quote about comparison doing nothing other than making your own life dull… I think, wow… yes, such good advice. But hard to apply to yourself in the actual moment—when you have your teeth sunk in… and someone is prying you away.
August 9, 2012 @ 12:05 pm
Yeah, that was a lot of house. Maybe now you guys can think about things better for the next time you fall in love with an old house. Check out this blog that shows all kinds of old homes that would just make you cry. http://oldhousedreams.com
August 9, 2012 @ 4:32 pm
Whoa… that Queen Anne in Iowa? For $47,000????? I have no desire to live in Iowa, but for THAT house? I do.
I had never heard of or seen that site… so thank you.
August 15, 2012 @ 4:26 pm
What an amazing site. Thanks for sharing Cher. Just passed it on to a couple people.
August 9, 2012 @ 3:40 pm
Wow… I’m sorry it didn’t work out. Such an amazing place. So much work… but so amazing!! It’s a stunning home and whoever ends up with it, I hope they will give it the care and appreciation that it deserves. Glad you won’t be dealing with the craziness and stress, but it sounds like the outcome was bittersweet to say the least.
August 9, 2012 @ 4:41 pm
Yes… even though I’m sad WE won’t be the ones driven crazy over this project, I do really hope whoever’s taking it on does it with the love it needs to really restore it to it’s original beauty.
At first we thought for sure it must have been bought by a developer… it’s located on what could be two lots, if it was demolished. And it’s literally right on the river, so the land is valuable. Plus, the quick purchase and ready cash made us think it must have been a corporation. But it turns out it really is an individual who’s going to keep it as apartments. Lucky them. But? Also, they have to deal with that bathroom, which I don’t envy!!
August 9, 2012 @ 6:04 pm
My cousin is taking on a monster renovation right now and it is truly stressful and overwhelming. Even though the outcome will be grand, he keeps asking “What did we just do?”
Looking forward to seeing what’s next instead for you and your man.
August 9, 2012 @ 8:38 pm
That’s the thing with renovation. It starts with imagining your fantasy house… and then muddles you in dirt and mess. And you literally wonder WHY you chose this. Then it wraps up and you’re amazed. With yourself, with your house… and you forget why you were ever stressed out about it!!
August 9, 2012 @ 5:15 pm
Hey you! You didn’t loose anything. You just didn’t gain something, but that in itself isn’t even true. You dreamed, you tried, you let your imagination live large and you learned quite a bit in the process.
I was sad for months on end, naming each the houses I didn’t get as the “one that got away.” Each one we lost was, at the time, the perfect answer. In reality none were perfect. Fast forward to our quaint craftsman bungalow, and guess what? We bid on it in February, and lost. Someone else went to contract on it.
By chance I look up it’s old MLS number, so I could cry over it, and the house didn’t close and the listing was expired. We ended up buying the house on a Monday, for 10k less then we were ready to offer on the previous Friday.
Never be afraid to go for it. And also know when everyone doubts you it’s only because they are projecting their own fears.
p.s. Now I want a ballroom….. thanks for that.
August 9, 2012 @ 5:42 pm
Wow. You were totally meant to buy that house! And I know you can list a thousand things to spend the savings on!! (Assuming you can still find that extra $10,000… and the house didn’t eat it immediately when you weren’t looking.)
I’m going to try your attitude adjustment of thinking about it in terms of not having actually lost anything… We really got caught up in the dream-house aspect of it… and watching it get away is painful.
p.s.- I am so totally never getting over the ballroom. It’s like seeing a house with running water or electricity after living in the stone ages… who could do without it??!!
August 9, 2012 @ 5:35 pm
Look, ballrooms are over-rated. I think Rhett was, too. And just think about how much dust the bottom of your hoop skirt would kick up! Crop pants are really so much better 🙂
Those people who said it wasn’t meant to be? They might have been right, annoyingly enough. But it sounds like you learned a lot from this process (about rentals, about mansions/houses of this age, about yourselves) and I’ll bet that knowledge will come in handy as you make your next step…?
Onward charge! I’m still just impressed that you even considered this undertaking!
August 9, 2012 @ 8:35 pm
Since I was a very young girl, I have been willing to live with the sacrifices that come with a hoopskirt. And a parasol. And a tiara…
And yes. The people cheerfully pronouncing it “not meant to be” are only annoying for the quickness they brought to pointing it out. Skipping the step where they offered cookies and other gestures of sympathy before getting right to the crux of the matter.
January 13, 2018 @ 12:09 am
Hi, I just found your blog, and I’d like to console you with 2 things:
1) living in a chopped-up Grand house after you’ve lived in your sfh is a horror. The acoustics are MISERY incarnate. The radiant heat isn’t ever balanced. The air dynamics (think fresh air flow) are forever stagnant. Good Grand Houses are miracles of balance, engineering.
2) being a LL is a pain in the ass.
My X hated everything about fixing-up, didn’t want to read about how to do something, was constantly trying to re-invent the wheel to cope with his hatred of the process…I thought all men had this Gene, that meant they were born knowing how or would absorb what they didn’t know effortlessly. You’re married to someone capable, but everybody needs to finish things and rest, and time to take care of each other.
Thanks for blogging, and reading this, and if I were a younger woman I’d ask “could I have that Man of yours, when you’re done?” Wow!
August 9, 2012 @ 10:58 pm
Victoria,
Okay, now I feel terrible at being one of the negative naysayers to the house by the bay (sea)…but that said, I’m pretty sure you didn’t show us that final image at sunset! Like one of your other readers, I truly think you will get the perfect home to work hard on, maybe even that house by the bay (sea)? You could always add a ballroom to your current home and waltz with Paul Butler, Rhett’s much more talented brother.
Just wait and see…some amazing home will be in your future.
Karen
August 10, 2012 @ 7:36 am
I really laughed at Paul Butler…
I don’t count you as a naysayer. I was mostly thinking of our mothers. Both of whom were just a smidge too relieved at the news.
I would really love to live on the water. Being able to sit on my front porch and watch boats go by would be so wonderful… hopefully whatever our next project is will involve something like that!!
August 10, 2012 @ 10:56 am
I will enjoy reading of your search and discovery and the subsequent beauty you guys make of it. I’m with you, living on any body of water holds great appeal. I wouldn’t get much accomplished because I’d be mesmerized by the view!
Have a great weekend.
August 10, 2012 @ 6:20 pm
Speaking of water… we’re headed to the beach for a week… yay.
Have a great weekend!
August 10, 2012 @ 1:08 pm
Ahhhhh, that was such a fun read for me, thank you! It brought back memories as we went through similar processes/paperwork/bank/etc. to obtain our house. It’s gut wrenching when your heart is attached. Sorry you did not get the house but a least you still have your sanity! Who knows what treasure will be around the next corner waiting for you to discover.
August 10, 2012 @ 8:50 pm
Funny, how you start to think sanity isn’t necessary… You know? How you start to think you can do without it.
I guess YOU of all people know what it means to be attached to a house… not everyone is willing to move one!!!
August 11, 2012 @ 1:48 pm
Under contract. Full asking price. I am so sorry.
August 12, 2012 @ 8:14 am
Thanks. We were planning to offer less… so the full price part made our efforts seem extra futile.
August 11, 2012 @ 10:33 pm
Aww I am sad for you but at the same time I have to say 30% interest is ludicrous!! Besides the strain of fixing up the house and all paying the mortgage. It would take FOREVER to pay that house off. . On the flip side I am sad that you didn’t get it. I love that house and I know you would also. If the pther person financing falls through are you going to persue?
August 12, 2012 @ 8:29 am
30% down payment. Not interest. Although the interest IS higher… it’s not THAT high!! Ha ha. Yes, if the buyer bails, we’ll pursue it. It seems unlikely. But? You never know… you probably see that all the time. People walking away from houses for any number of reasons??
August 13, 2012 @ 9:54 am
yes. The inspection reveals a lot of things so it is always good to put a back out option contingent upon the inspection. Of course now a days anyone can be an inspector and you can’t really rely on them that much to give you the real deal. If it is meant to be you will get it. Maybe there is something better for you out there that getting this house will prevent you from finding OR MAYBE there is a treasure chest of money hidden in your house waiting to be discovered that you will never find if you move. LOLOLOL that would be nice wouldn’t it? Whew on the 30% interest/downpayment. LOL
August 17, 2012 @ 8:05 am
You know? I hadn’t considered the likelihood that the universe is keeping us in this house to discover gold. But? I am going to start looking for it RIGHT now!
August 17, 2012 @ 8:06 pm
It could be right under your nose. LOL
August 12, 2012 @ 5:04 pm
Bummer!! My hubby was reading your blog and almost choked when he saw the patio and the water views of that house. I should also mention that he continued to read (and read) your blog with much laughing out loud. He did eventually go quiet and when I asked him what was wrong he said, “do you wish I was handy?” You see, my husband has zero handyman skills…..he can be handsy, but not handy. LOL anyway, he added that he hoped Paul was really fat and ugly (I’m sure he’s not) because he is obviously very clever and my hubby feels completely threatened.
Anyway, sorry to hear about your house. :(((
August 13, 2012 @ 4:28 pm
You made me laugh and laugh and laugh.
Probably like any other male trait, there are positives and negatives… Paul being handy is AWESOME. And sometimes infuriating. He is handy to the point of tunnel vision. Like I said above—about him morphing into my least favorite version of himself… NOT an exaggeration.
Plus, he has righteousness on his side… after all, how can I expect him to stop holding up the house with his bare hands just so I feel like he’s really engaged in what I’m saying … Grrr.
August 13, 2012 @ 11:50 pm
Lol yes so true….re positives and negatives. My husband has plenty of tunnel vision, just about different things. Sorry I went off on a tangent. I really am sorry about the house.
August 15, 2012 @ 10:34 pm
Ah, a ballroom! I see why you would be tempted! You would be the perfect Scarlett, just a lot less cranky! Too bad it didn’t work out. Or maybe good it didn’t work out. I definitely see your point here, AND your relief to finally have a set outcome. But it would be have been fun… Fun to read about too!
Also, I laughed so hard when you wrote about your kitchen. A hole in the ceiling! And in the floor! And that island! Ha ha! Love that island, you should keep it just the way it is! Makes the whole space feel more unique, wouldn’t you say!
August 17, 2012 @ 8:15 am
Ugh. Our kitchen. Is a disaster. I mean, the rest of the house was too, but the kitchen is really bad. It’s next on the project list—which I’m both looking forward to AND simultaneously dreading beyond all belief. We’re not even close to a plan. And whatever we come up with will surely take seven times longer than expected…
I would totally make a great Scarlett. I’ve already mastered the “think about it tomorrow” mindset. And I’m pretty sure I’m no less cranky.
October 7, 2012 @ 3:14 pm
Oh man that is a beautiful house with so much potential. I can see why you had your heart set on it, but I’m sure in a few months something will happen to reveal why not getting it was the best thing to happen. I was heartbroken when I couldn’t buy the co-op I wanted (http://thehesoproject.wordpress.com/2011/10/28/blessings-in-disguise/) but now I’m so happy that didn’t work out.
P.S. I’m new to your blog and I love watching you Victorian home coming together. Great job!
March 13, 2013 @ 10:18 pm
I’m a lot older than you guys, but I’ve spent the last 15 years working on old broken down houses and am really tired of all the money and time going toward renovations instead of simple enjoyment of life. My son is almost grown, and I’ve been busy renovating the entire growing up process. I’ve decided these last two renovations I’m currently working on will be my last. There was a mansion in the neighboring town my hubby and I looked at, but we decided in light of current projects that it was something we could not afford to renovate properly. Someone purchased it and they have done a totally amazing, and I’m sure costly, renovation, turning it into a bed and breakfast. I’m so glad someone got it that did it proud. If we’d tried to take it on, we would have failed it and that would have broken my heart.
Now I dream of sitting in a porch swing and walking to the mailbox a mile away instead of actually doing it. Once upon a time long long ago I actually was able to do that. And I camped, fished, gardened and had friends over for dinner and parties. My last party was about 18 years ago.
Your Paul is obviously a Mad-Man for work; that is a dream house, and you are both amazingly talented. Some houses do speak to you, but remember having time to really live life–spending time with family and friends–is really what enriches your life. People are important–not houses. I want to sit and enjoy beauty instead of trying to make old beauty shine again. I understand both your mothers secretly sighing with relief that you didn’t get that particular dream. As you get older you start really understanding the price you pay for loving older homes. If I won the lottery and could hire contractors, I too would have grabbed up something like that one–you just can’t beat that view–but surely there will be another home somewhere that will be your forever home, and you’ll look back and thank your guardian angels that you didn’t get that one.
Another thing to keep in mind in looking for your forever home–if you get a huge home it won’t even be just the fixing up, but the keeping up forever after that you’ll pay a price for in terms of time and money. If you want your resources devoted to keeping up a home rather than traveling around the world or spending romantic weekends at the newest surprise B&B you’ve discovered on the internet, that’s fine, but personally, I miss those romantic weekends.
March 14, 2013 @ 11:18 am
You should have this printed as a handout for anyone considering a huge house-remodel…
Our rationale for considering it— was that theoretically, at some point it would have been self-sustaining. And even profitable. Something that seems like a way better investment of the crazy time and money we have put into this house… which frankly we may never get a good return on…
Obviously, it was REALLY theoretical… the size of the project was almost certainly beyond the scope of our ability. I mean, Paul could have done the work, but not at the rate it would have been needed. Plus, obviously it would have killed us.
Paul drove by it this week… but I haven’t been back. Too disappointing. He says they rebuilt the porch, possibly from scratch. And that they’re clearly doing the work that needs to be done.
We have absolutely spent all our time/money/energy here. And in some ways I think it’s ridiculous to do it again. By the time we’re more-or-less done, we’ll have been at it for somewhere between four and five years.
On the other hand, I have learned SO much. And it seems sort of necessary to do it all again, now that I know exactly what we’re getting into. I think my decision process would be better. And I guess it feels like it would be an opportunity to “redo” the bad parts. Although, in reality, I’m not sure if that’s true. It’s not like my base personality has changed…
Also, I think looking at houses is some kind of sickness… one that I caught from Paul.
March 14, 2013 @ 5:34 pm
My hubby and I both love old houses and were always looking too. My perspective is from the last 17 years of experience. I was working on houses long before I met my husband. One of our current projects is 6000 sq. feet and basically purchased the same day we saw it (it was love at first sight). We purchased it in November 5 years ago, just the beginning of winter, and needed to get heat in so we could work on it. My husband was installing a pellet stove in the front living room and discovered much to his dismay that there was no insulation in the exterior walls. That was all good as long as we still had our other house to live in while we stripped the exterior walls and installed insulation, but we were off to a bad start because we were just going to paint and move in. Then a vagrant broke a basement window, took a locked door off the hinges to access the upper floor, and apparently slept by the pellet stove. Fortunately he didn’t steal any of the tools or damage anything else, but I was so irate I insisted on moving in to protect the property. My husband moved a stove and refrigerator in, and then promptly broke his leg in a motorcycle race. It was a very bad break requiring plates and multiple pins, and the docs weren’t sure if it would heal or if they might have to amputate. It healed, but took 9 long months. In the meantime, I was hauling and unloading 2 tons of pellets a month to heat the house, stopping at one house after work to load furniture and personal belongings, and then unloading those items once I got home. Right after hubby healed, he dropped his street bike a block from the house to avoid hitting a dog, and broke the knee on his other leg. (I 86’d him from motorcyles after that). So there went another year. The next two years I dealt with pinched nerve pain from a disc disintegrating in my back and surgery ensued. I attribute that problem to years of heavy lifting. Now we’re both mostly healed and all is fine, but geez…such huge blocks of wasted time! I won’t even speak of the medical bills.
A 6000 sq. ft. house requires the same materials as a 1000 sq. ft. house, but 6 times more. That’s talking big money when you price roofing and flooring. The roof was going to be $14,000 and the flooring another $14,000 to have a contractor installation. That was just basic good quality materials–not expensive stuff. A heating system was priced at $12,000. None of those items are done because they aren’t necessary now, but it’s coming down the pike. I’ll probably rip up the existing flooring and refinish the original fir underneath myself just to save those flooring bucks. We’ll have to sell our other house in order to come up with the funding on the roof and kitchen. I have no kitchen, just old cabinets and countertops set in place, a sink, stove and refrigerator. I have no drywall on the exterior walls except for my master bedroom and my son’s room. And that’s how it’s been the last five years.
The moral of the story is not to bite off more than one of you can comfortably do, or what you can comfortably pay others to do. I’ve decided big house projects are really for rich people and small houses are for people like us, but it’s a little late to learn this now since we have a big house.
We’ve managed the past two years to do the insulation, replace 16 windows and a few doors, and fix up a nice master bedroom, but obviously there’s still a heck of a lot to do. My hubby and I still love the house (it is just awesome and well-built), but we are exhausted. I’m sure you can relate from what I’ve read in your other posts. Just imagine you and Paul being 30 years older and in that place. Just a thought.
I thought you might enjoy a description of this big old house since you are such old house buffs. In case you’re wondering why there wasn’t insulation in the exterior walls–we discovered the house was built in 1926 as a hospital for a small mining town no longer extant, then moved a few miles to its present site in 1956 and placed on a foundation especially built for it by the LDS Church. The LDS Church used it for a meeting house and classes, and they heated with steam heat provided by the mine. I guess they weren’t concerned with heat loss since the heat was free and they weren’t living in it…LOL. It’s 3000 sq. ft. on the upper level with 17′ high ceilings and of post and beam construction. The beams are 8×12 and 6×12 and the rafters are 4×6 with solid wood tongue and groove planking. The big meeting room was divided into two huge living rooms by a prior owner and there are banks of windows on each side with some lovely views of the mountains. I often watch antelope and deer grazing in the mornings and evenings. The kitchen was apparently the original kitchen for the meeting house and very basic, and the bathroom is the size of a bedroom with tons of storage. There are 4 bedrooms and 1 bath on the upper floor, and 5 bedrooms (ie. classrooms), 1 bath in the basement. There is also a maintenance room with the hot water heaters and a toilet and sink; a furnace room that is solid concrete, including the ceiling; a tool room for grounds maintenance and a pantry in the basement. The basement walls are 12″ thick concrete. The basement and upstairs entry walls are lathe and plaster, but the rest of the walls were a board commonly used in the 50’s finished with a smooth texture.
I always wanted to operate a bed and breakfast, and I thought I might fix the house and do so for the local miners, who are always looking for places to live around here. Perhaps if the health problems had not occurred, I’d be doing that right now, but since we haven’t finished the place, it’s a moot point. So that’s our story! Hope I haven’t bored you to tears…so sorry for the long post. I love your website, which I just discovered yesterday through links on Houzz. You have a wonderful way of expressing yourself and I even had my husband laughing yesterday when I read him your comments on the current renovation you are working on.
March 15, 2013 @ 11:17 am
Sigh… I was feeling badly for you. What with the broken legs/knees/pinched nerves… and the no heat… but then? You said SEVENTEEN foot ceilings. And all my sympathy went away.
I would happily live in an unheated old hospital with SEVENTEEN foot ceilings. You think that’s because I haven’t done it, but it’s not. Having done this house, and knowing what I know… given the opportunity to move into a massive, unusual home… far beyond our budget or skills, I would do it. I would disregard all rationale and reason. I wouldn’t even need to think about it.
In fact, in the privacy of this comment… I would even say that if I knew then, what I knew now… I wouldn’t have bought this house. I would have waited for something else. Something that would have been THAT special.
Not because I don’t love this house—I absolutely do. But the time/money we’ve spent here is crazy. Especially since the housing market has continued to tank… and it’s hard to know whether it will end up having been a good investment, or only a labor of love.
I would have waited for something that I would have never wanted to leave. Something unique and amazing. A big part of that is just my personality. Not because I love hard work, but because I love anything odd/giant/fancy… even if it’s broken or useless.
I am so glad you found me and took the time to talk to me. Reading other people’s stories reminds me that we’re not alone… and that to some people all of this is normal. Before I started blogging, it felt very much, that Paul and I were the only people who’d made SUCH a giant mess out of their house, and possibly even our lives… now it seems hard, but like something lots of other people survived. And that, there’s no “right” way to get through it.
March 15, 2013 @ 4:34 pm
Oh you poor thing…you’ve got it bad! I so hope you find a spectacular project that will be your forever home. What you said is exactly what I was thinking when I looked at the house before buying it. It didn’t even make it to being listed. We were looking at something else the realtor had listed that was not viable, and he mentioned another property in a neighboring town that was being cleaned up and might be along the lines of what we were looking for. When we walked out after going through it, I told him we wanted it. That was it. We paid cash so it was a fast transaction.
The quality of the wood and construction was better than anything I would ever be able to afford in my lifetime. It had a graceful simplicity, lots of windows, high ceilings, beautiful wood beams, three commercial hot water heaters (so obviously the electric worked) and a viable bathroom. And the kicker–it looked different than anything anywhere. It would never be like anyone else’s home. My hubby and I still both adore the home. It’s just a daunting task in light of $$$ and physical work. I wish we’d discovered it when we were your age. It would have been a piece of cake then.
It took us two or three weeks to find all the breaker boxes to turn on all the lights. For a while we thought there was an electrical problem…smile.
March 16, 2013 @ 10:01 am
I tell myself this has been a “learning experience.” Which it has… for sure. But at the same time, it’s like when something bad happens and then later turns out all right, and people say—oh! “It was meant to be.” Rather than—phew, I’m glad that didn’t explode after all…
Also? Our house may be the first time I didn’t think “big” enough. LOL. If I had ever even considered that house on the river might ever have been possible, I would have never seen ours in the same light… I guess everything is relative.
This is a perfectly lovely house… but like you said—when you see something so unique and amazing, it’s an entirely different feeling. I THOUGHT I felt this way about this house… until I saw the river house and was like—oh. Crap.
Laughed at your electrical boxes. Pretty rare that it seems you have discovered some giant unknown problem that turns out to be fine!!!